The Chokewood Anthem
by animatedrose
Summary: Tiffany moves to Chokewood, a town drenched in a mystery hidden beneath a taboo and residential silence. Trying to figure out how her mother's childhood home of Ashwood became such a dreary town, she must contend with thieves, troublesome residents, and the rumors of a monster living up the nearby mountain. Is the truth even worth finding? gijinka-fied characters, slight yuri


This is a random crossover I came up with before I got my copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I liked the storyline that came to mind for this one, so I started writing it.

Each day will be its own chapter, so the chapters will be long. Updates will also be slow due to me having to get content for each chapter. I use content from my game and Youtube playthroughs of New Leaf in order to have interesting stuff occur as filler between my own plot events and gameplay events.

I hope you like it! Enjoy!

Pokemon x Animal Crossing crossover

The Chokewood Anthem

**DAY 1, JUNE 8**

The train rumbled and shook as it roared over the railroad tracks. The car trembled, sending tingles through the girl's legs. She absently smoothed her orange skirt with one hand, the other fiddling with the buttons of her white blouse.

She had short orange hair, barely long enough to touch her shoulders, with black hair along the sides of her face. Small black mouse-like ears were folded close to her head, almost buried in her hair. A long black tail with a puff at the end was curled around one leg, twitching nervously. Along with her blouse and skirt, she wore a thin orange coat and shiny black dress shoes. Her brown eyes stared at the floor firmly.

"Um, excuse me? I have a question to ask you, if you don't mind."

The girl jumped, surprised by the voice. Looking up, she found a boy with pale hair and cream-colored clothes standing in front of her. He had black cat ears rising above his hair and a shiny golden coin stuck to his forehead. A long cream-colored tail with a curl at the end swung merrily behind him.

"Oh! Uh… Yes?" the girl squeaked nervously. _A Meowth… It's a cat…_

"It's 3 PM right now, yes? On June…?"

"Eighth," she replied, eyes on the ground again. "It's the eighth today. And the time is indeed 3 PM."

The Meowth boy smiled. "Oh, good! Then I haven't completely lost track of time." He looked around. "Mind if I sit down here?"

He indicated the empty seat across from her.

"…Sure?" she nodded shakily.

"Hey, don't be scared. I'm not going to eat you or something, you know," the Meowth reassured, dropping into the seat with a smile. "You're a Dedenne, right? I haven't seen one of you for ages. Then again, I haven't been on the rails in a while. I think it's been a few years since the last time I've rode around so much…"

The Dedenne girl breathed a sigh of relief. _That's good to hear. I don't want to be eaten, after all._

"I'm Rover. Nice to meet you!" The Meowth boy held out his hand. "And you are…?"

"…Tiffany," the Dedenne girl replied after a moment. She nervously shook his hand, careful of the sharp fingernails he had.

"Tiffany," Rover repeated, smiling. "What a cute name. It's nice to meet you, Tiffany."

"S-same," Tiffany squeaked, looking away in embarrassment. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Oh! Am I scaring you? Sorry. I can't change me being a cat," Rover admitted, ears falling back in sadness.

"No! It's not you! It's me!" Tiffany yelped, the black hair shooting up and resembling whiskers on a mouse. "I just get nervous around cats! And you're actually really cute and I—uwaaaah!" She turned away, face in her hands. _Why did you say that?!_

"Uh… I'm…cute?" Rover blushed before laughing it off. "No need to be so ashamed. I've had that said to me before. No worries, Tiffany."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me today," Tiffany whimpered, facing him again and staring at her skirt, face still red. "I've just been under so much pressure and there's not enough time and I don't know where I'm going and—"

"Wait!" Rover cut her off, shocked. "You don't know where you're going? How can that be?"

"Well…" Tiffany fisted her hands in her skirt. "You see, I'm moving away from my old home. I'm supposed to be going to Ashwood…but nobody knows where it is. I've asked everyone I know. I finally decided to just hop on the train and see if it'll take me to Ashwood…but the conductor didn't recognize the name at all. What a mess I'm in!" She looked ready to cry.

"Ashwood? Give me a second… Ashwood, Ashwood, Ashwood…" Rover leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, tapping his chin as he rolled the name over in his mind. "…Hmmm? Could it be…? Yes, it must be. No, it absolutely is!"

"What? Do you know where Ashwood is?" Tiffany asked hopefully.

"Yep! You're on the right track, actually. You just have the wrong name," Rover replied.

"The wrong na…? No, I'm certain it's called Ashwood. My mother used to live there," Tiffany argued.

"The name got changed five years ago. I recall hearing about it. I'm not certain why it was changed but that place is most certainly Ashwood," Rover replied, smiling. "You're looking for a place called Chokewood."

"Choke…wood? That…doesn't sound…very welcoming at all," Tiffany whimpered, shivers racing up her spine.

Rover sighed, shrugging. "I know. Like I said, I'm not sure why the name was changed, but it's most certainly Ashwood. That's probably why nobody knows where Ashwood is anymore. They're used to hearing about Chokewood now."

"Oh," Tiffany nodded slowly. "I guess…that makes sense…"

"Well, at least you know where you're going now," Rover said merrily. "Better yet, I think it's the next stop."

"Really? Then I was right to get on the train after all!" the Dedenne realized.

"It appears so," Rover nodded, smiling. "So, you're moving. That must've been hard work for you."

"It was…but it'll be worth it. If Chokewood is anything like Ashwood was, then I'm going to someplace better," Tiffany explained. "Of course, I've never been there before. I've got no idea what to expect…but I'm sure I'll be okay. My mother has contacted an old friend who will set me up with a house right away."

"That's good to hear. It's no good if you have to sleep outside on your first night. House hunting will be fun," Rover predicted. "I wish you good luck in your new town. I think I'll be sticking on the rails for a while…but maybe I'll visit Chokewood one day."

"Yeah," Tiffany nodded, smiling. "Thank you for the help. I might've been lost forever if not for you."

"No problem. Happy to help," Rover replied. "If you ever jump on the rails again, I should be here."

"I'll remember that," Tiffany promised.

A speaker crackled overhead, making the Dedenne girl jump. **"Now arriving in Chokewood! Chokewood Station!"**

"Well, speak of the devil. Here we are," Rover commented. "Thank you for talking with me. I haven't had so much fun on a train ride in years."

"Same," Tiffany agreed. "Thank you so much, Rover."

"No, Tiffany. Thank _you_," Rover corrected. "And, to be honest, you're pretty cute too."

Tiffany blushed a vicious red before she snatched up her trunk and dashed down the aisle. Rover laughed happily behind her as the train came to a full stop.

"**This stop is Chokewood! Everyone for Chokewood, exit here!"**

She hopped down the steps, shakily maneuvering her massive trunk so as not to hit the Aipom conductor on the way out. Giving a nervous goodbye to him, she hopped out onto the station floor and watched the train pull away with a roar.

"Chokewood, huh? What a strange name change. I wonder why they changed it to that," Tiffany muttered, looking around the tiny station. "Well, better get going. I have to find the guy that mom talked about. What was his name? …Oh, yes! Tom Nook!"

The Dedenne girl scurried down the steps of the station…and was surprised to see people gathered outside of the station. She jumped briefly, black hair rising instantly in alarm.

_Did mom set up a welcoming party or something?_ Tiffany wondered, horribly confused.

To the far right was a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. She had short antlers rising above her head that were covered in pink flowers and small deer ears stuck out from the sides of her head, almost hidden by her hair. She wore a short brown coat with lighter brown trimming, a tan-colored shirt with a large puff at the front just below the collar, and dark brown pants. A short deer's tail was barely visible behind her.

"Oh my! Look who it is," she said, smiling softly at Tiffany.

_A Sawsbuck? How pretty,_ the Dedenne girl thought in awe.

To her left stood a boy with bluish-purple hair and large yellow eyes. Two triangular ears, the same color as his hair, stuck out from his head. A fang stuck out from either side of his mouth and when he spoke, Tiffany could clearly see sharp teeth. He wore a shawl-like thing over his shoulders with two triangular bits sticking out from the bottom edge. Under that, he wore a red and black striped shirt with bluish-purple pants. In place of his hands was a pair of large pincers. She could see black material hanging behind him but it was pretty well hidden beneath the shawl. A long barbed scorpion-like tail swung about behind him.

"That's her, right? It's gotta be her!" he declared, looking eagerly at the Dedenne girl.

_A Gliscor? Scary…_ Tiffany thought, horrified that—with the look on his face—he may attempt to eat her.

To his left stood a tall guy with dark blue hair and red eyes. He wore a dark blue jacket with a flaming collar, a cream-colored undershirt, and dark blue pants. He didn't look all that welcoming, arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face.

"Well, who else could it be? Nobody else is scheduled to come by train today, Kirk," he stated, frowning at the Gliscor boy.

_A Typhlosion…_ Tiffany wanted to flee, frightened by the intimidating Fire-type.

To his left stood a girl with puffy cream-colored hair and dark eyes. A pair of dog ears rose from the sides of her head. She wore a light brown shirt and skirt with a black jacket over it. A short puppy tail wagged behind her. She held a clipboard close to her chest.

"You're right, Blake. Nobody else is scheduled to come here today. It absolutely must be her," she declared with a kind smile.

Tiffany instantly relaxed, smiling too. _A Lillipup,_ she thought. _It can't be so bad if something as innocent as a Lillipup can live here._

"Ready, everyone?" the Lillipup girl asked. "One… Two… From all of us in Chokewood…"

"WELCOME!" they all cried, tossing confetti in the air.

_I guess I was right. Mom set up a welcoming party for me. Did she know it was changed to Chokewood then? Was this all a test?_ Tiffany wondered, giggling as she brushed confetti from her hair. "Thank you! I'm glad to meet you all!"

"We're glad to meet you, too. I wasn't expecting someone so young…but we can make due. It'll be like a breath of fresh air, having a youngster like you as our mayor!" the Lillipup girl declared.

"Thank yo—wait, what?" Tiffany whirled around, facing the Lillipup. "Mayor? I… You're mistaken. I'm just a new resident."

"Of course, you're that too! No need to be shy, Mayor Tiffany. We'll let you get settled in before we do anything major," the Lillipup girl promised.

"No, not that! I'm not your Mayor!" Tiffany explained. "I'm Tiffany, daughter of—"

"—Rosie, yes, we know this. I've got most of your paperwork filled out already. Just a few more things left and then we can get started making Chokewood a better place, mayor!" the Lillipup girl said happily.

"What part of 'I'm not your mayor' do you not understand?" Tiffany cried, frustrated. _What's going on here? Mayor? Me? No way! Something's wrong! Did Rover lie to me? But why?_

"Of course you're our major! What a kidder, you are. You told us what train you'd arrive on and everything," the Lillipup girl explained with a smile. "Let's continue this discussion at the town hall. Everything is just as you said it would be in your letter. We're so happy you're here. Well, come along then!"

"W-wait! I'm no—eep!"

Tiffany found herself dragged along by the Lillipup girl, who was definitely stronger than she appeared. The Dedenne girl could do nothing to get free.

_Just what the heck is going on here?!_ Tiffany wondered in despair. _This isn't how it's supposed to be! Not at all!_

"Oh, yes! Here's a map of Chokewood for you, Mayor Tiffany. Best get it memorized. Wouldn't want our mayor to get lost in her own town, now would we?" The Lillipup girl shoved a piece of paper into the Dedenne girl's hands before carrying on.

"Th-there's been a mistake, really. I'm not your mayor," Tiffany whimpered, shakily scanning over the map. _Holy! This place is HUGE! What happened to 'small town living', mom?_

She looked behind her to see that the other three residents had scattered. The Lillipup girl continued to drag her along, going through wooded areas and across bridges. They finally arrived at a large stone building with the words TOWN HALL placed above the entrance. Tiffany found herself dragged inside and stopped in front of a wooden desk, which the Lillipup girl dashed behind.

"This place will be your base of operations now, Mayor Tiffany," she declared happily. "My name is Isabelle and I'm your secretary. Probably should've mentioned that earlier before dragging you around like that, huh? Sorry! I'm kind of new here myself, but I'll help you in any way I possibly can, Mayor Tiffany!"

"Look, I'm not joking. I'm really not yo—"

"Since you got here, let's get going on your resident registration. Our mayor really should be a resident, you know!" Isabelle laughed. "Okay, got your name—Tiffany! Now we need…"

The Lillipup girl froze before dropping her clipboard and clutching her ears in despair.

"Oh no! How could I forget something so vitally important? Oh, my big brother would've NEVER made such a mistake! Uwaaaah!"

"Uh… What did you forget?" Tiffany asked, resting a hand nervously on Isabelle's shoulder.

"In order to register you as a resident, you need an address! You just got here, so you probably don't even have a house yet. Oh, I'm so stupid!" Isabelle wailed.

"My, uh… My mom told me to see a guy called Tom Nook in order to get my house. Is there…a Tom Nook here?" Tiffany asked cautiously.

Isabelle sprung up, sorrow gone. "Tom Nook! Oh, yes! You can go get a home from him! How could I forget? You've got to go see him right away, Mayor Tiffany!"

_So, Tom Nook is here. This must be Ashwood then,_ Tiffany decided. _But this mayor thing… How did that happen? She mentioned a letter. Did my mom do this?_

"I don't recall there being any vacant houses here, but I'm sure Tom Nook could build one for you," Isabelle continued. "I'm sorry for being so flaky. I made you come here to fill out this form for nothing. My brother would be so ashamed of me…"

"Your brother?"

"He was the secretary for our last mayor, who held his position for many years. When he stepped down, my brother decided to let me be the secretary for our new mayor," Isabelle explained, wringing her hands. "My brother lives in town, along with my father. I had hoped to impress them with my skills as a secretary…but this just shows how much of a newbie I am at this."

"Everyone's new at something. Don't worry," Tiffany reassured. "I won't tell anyone."

"Really? You'd do that for me? Oh, thank you so much, Mayor Tiffany!"

Isabelle lunged forward, hugging the Dedenne girl. Tiffany stiffened up briefly before relaxing. She nervously wound her arms around the Lillipup girl's back, returning the hug.

_Maybe this mayor thing won't be as bad as I thought,_ Tiffany wondered.

"On the other side of the tracks, on Main Street, is Nook's Homes, the real estate office. Just go back to the train station but keep going north past the tracks. Use your map if you get lost, okay?" Isabelle instructed when she pulled away. "I'll stay here and work on your registration. Once you've got a place to live, come back here and tell me right away."

"I will," Tiffany promised. "Be back in a bit!"

The Dedenne girl left the town hall, pulling out the map she had been given.

"Up past the train station… Oh, there it is! I just go north," she muttered.

Tiffany dashed through the trees and flowers, crossing the bridge and going around the pond. She saw a few other houses along the way.

_Must be the other residents. I wonder how many there are,_ she wondered.

She soon reached the train station. She quickly crossed the railroad tracks, checking both ways for oncoming trains before daring to cross. Up the stairs was a short street—Main Street. A few buildings lined it. From the symbols on the signs, she could see a shop, a post office, and a museum…not to mention Nook's Homes itself.

"Time to get myself a house," she muttered, bravely going inside Nook's Homes.

Inside was a man with dark brown hair and black eyes. He had long black ears sticking up from his head. He wore a brown sweater with a large white circle on it and dark brown pants. A long, puffy brown tail with black stripes swung behind him slowly.

_A Sentret,_ Tiffany realized.

"Ah, hello! Welcome! Welcome!" the Sentret man greeted. "Ah, you must be the new mayor! Tiffany, yes? Isabelle told me to expect you. I welcome you on behalf of the Chokewood chamber of commerce, Mayor Tiffany!"

"Um, thanks? I came to—"

"You came to get yourself a home, yes? I can help with that!" the Sentret man exclaimed. "I am Tom Nook, owner of this fine establishment. I can build you a home just about anywhere you please! Of course, I'll need to know where you want your house located. Do you know where you want your house yet, Mayor Tiffany?"

"Where I want it? Um…" Tiffany frowned. "I haven't really looked around, I guess."

"Then allow us to start looking for a place. Building you a house is no good if you don't like the location," Tom Nook pointed out. "Allow us to begin our hunt for the perfect space!"

"I… Okay," Tiffany nodded, deciding to just go with it.

The pair left Main Street and began exploring the town. There was a large abundance of apple trees, she noticed. There was plenty of open space to roam around, too. There were only a few houses, now that she took the chance to count them.

"There aren't many residents," she commented.

"Let's say Chokewood fell on…hard times a few years back. We're only just rebounding from it. I'm sure now that we have a new mayor, residents will start pouring in!" Tom predicted.

"Hard times, eh?" Tiffany repeated. "…Why was the name changed?"

"Huh? The name? Of what?" Tom looked completely lost now.

"The name of the town," Tiffany clarified. "I met someone on the train who told me Ashwood was changed to Chokewood five years ago. Why was that?"

The Sentret man froze. "…Well…I'm afraid I cannot say. The previous mayor labeled the cause as taboo. We cannot speak of it. All I know is that the change in name was…necessary."

"But I'm the mayor now. Can't I change that? Undo the taboo?" Tiffany questioned.

"I doubt it. The amount of laws and such tied into that taboo likely make it very difficult, if not impossible, to remove," Tom admitted. "Just…don't worry about it so much. It's truly nothing."

"It was major enough to prompt the town's name to change!" Tiffany argued.

"I… Uh…" Tom suddenly twirled away, amazed. "Ah, look at this space! The trees, the flowers… Why, you even have the pond right there! Smack at the center of everything, too! Not too far from the train station or the town hall, snuggled right between them. Doesn't this look good?"

_Was it that bad, whatever that incident was? I wonder what it was. Maybe Isabelle knows?_ Tiffany thought, frowning.

"I…guess so," Tiffany looked around. "Well, it is really pretty. Yeah, I think this is the place."

"Good! I'll reserve it for you right now! Wouldn't want someone else taking it, yes?" Tom laughed, setting up a perimeter of wooden poles and a RESERVED sign. "Including the cost of the land, materials, building costs, et cetera… Hmmm… You know what? I can't calculate it properly here. I'll give you the total later."

"Sure. That works," the Dedenne girl nodded. "Thank you so much!" _I hope I'm not in too much debt for this…_

"Drop by my store later to get the bill. I'm sure you're very busy at the moment," Tom guessed. "…Ah! I guess you still need a place to stay until we've built your house! Um… I think I have a tent, if that's okay with you. You can borrow it until your house is built."

"I'm good with a tent. It'll be like camping," Tiffany replied, smiling.

"Good! Give me a moment, would you?"

Tom left, returning a few minutes later with a tent. Tiffany helped to pitch it when the older man appeared to have trouble. In a short while, a bright yellow tent had been erected in Tiffany's reserved space.

"Ta-dah!" Tom sang. "Tent sweet tent, I guess you could say. I even brought over an old mailbox I had in the shop. You can start receiving mail. Think of it as a free welcome-to-Chokewood-new-mayor gift. It's not every day you see a tent with a mailbox, eh?"

"Yeah," Tiffany giggled. "Thank you, Mr. Nook!"

"You're welcome, Mayor Tiffany," Tom replied with a smile. "Well, I'd best return to my shop. Hope to see you soon. Don't forget to pick up your bill!"

"I won't," Tiffany promised, waving goodbye as the Sentret man walked away. She looked at the tent. _Well, it's not what I expected to happen on my first day in Ashwood… Er, I mean Chokewood. Things could be worse, though._

She sighed in relief. Pulling out her map, she was surprised to notice there was a house-shaped symbol where there hadn't been one before.

_Is that where I live? Mr. Nook said it was between the station and town hall. I guess I did pick a good space, after all,_ she thought. _…Speaking of town hall, I better tell Isabelle I have a house now!_

She ran southeast, the town hall quickly coming into view. Running around it until she reached the front doors, she headed inside. Isabelle was scribbling away at papers and jumped when Tiffany came in.

"Oh! Mayor Tiffany! Did you get a house?" she asked.

"Yep!" the Dedenne girl nodded. _Well, technically, it's a tent…but same thing!_

The Lillipup girl sighed in relief, slumping back in her chair. "Thank goodness. Now we can progress on this pesky paperwork."

She shuffled the papers around quickly.

"I've finished as much of this as I possibly could for you, but I still need one more thing from you," Isabelle explained. "When is your birthday?"

"My birthday?" Tiffany repeated. "It's…November 2nd."

"Okay! Good!" Isabelle jotted it down. "And…ta-dah! Your Town Pass Card is completed!"

"Town Pass Card?" Tiffany accepted the laminated card, looking it over.

"It's like an ID card that proves you live in Chokewood. We call it the TPC for short," Isabelle explained. "As long as you have it on you, you can visit other towns nearby. Who knows? Maybe you'll tempt people from other towns to move to Chokewood."

"Oh, I get it," Tiffany nodded, stowing the card away in her pocket. _I better not lose this. That'd be bad._

"That's everything we need to do in order to process your move," Isabelle declared. "The last thing to do is have you participate in a ceremony to commemorate your arrival. Will you do that for us, Mayor Tiffany?"

_Should I? I'm not really their mayor…but…what else could I possibly do?_ Tiffany sighed. "…Why not? Sounds like fun!"

"Perfect! Everyone else should be waiting in the event plaza. We hold special events there every now and then. We'd like for you to plant a tree in the square so it can become a great symbol for our town," Isabelle explained.

"Plant a tree? I guess I can do that," the Dedenne girl shrugged.

"Good! I'll lead the way, so follow me!" Isabelle urged, abandoning her place behind the desk and guiding Tiffany out of the town hall.

.o.o.o.o.

The event plaza wasn't very big. It was just a clearing with a raised square of ground at the center. Standing in the plaza were seven people, including the trio who had greeted Tiffany at the train station.

One was a young boy with gray hair and dark eyes. He had a pair of large gray bunny ears atop his head, the tips becoming brown. He had a ragged brown scarf around his neck and wore a gray shirt and pants. There was brown on the back and ends of his pants. A tiny bunny tail stuck out behind him. It was a Bunnelby.

The other was a tall woman with long black hair and red eyes. Atop her head were two snapping, toothy sets of jaws. She wore a yellow shirt with poufy sleeves that became red at the ends. Her pants were the same shade of red and flared out over her feet. It was a Mawile, only she was Mega Evolved.

The other two were—Tiffany could only assume—Isabelle's father and brother.

Her brother, a Herdier boy, was tall with short but scruffy brown hair. He also had some cream-colored hair that formed a three-pointed crest above his forehead. He had a short cream-colored mustache too. He wore a black jacket over a light brown sweater and pants. There was a short black dog tail poking out from behind him. His eyes were dark, like his sister's, and he looked slightly bored.

Her father, a Stoutland man, was a smidge shorter than his son and looked even older than Tom Nook. Lines were evident on his face and his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if to take the weight off of his back from standing up straight. He had a rounded belly, not quite a potbelly but almost. His hair was styled similarly to his son's, mostly brown but with a bigger and scruffier-looking cream-colored three-pointed crest above his forehead. He had a long, flowing cream-colored mustache that trailed to his waist and turned nearly white at the ends. He also had a scruffy brown beard peaking out beneath the mustache. He wore a dark blue sweater over his pudgy frame, brown zigzag stripes going across it, and grayish blue pants. A short black dog tail stuck out from behind him.

Tiffany and Isabelle stood atop the raised square. It was brick with dirt at the center. There was a deep hole in the dirt. Isabelle held a sapling in her hands.

The Lillipup girl looked awfully nervous. "So…p-please take this s-sapling!"

Tiffany reached out, carefully taking the baby tree from her secretary's shaking hands.

"O-Okay, Tiffany. Now p-plant it in th-that hole there. P-Put your heart into it, o-okay?" Isabelle instructed, struggling not to stutter too badly.

_Is her family that judgmental? Or is it just her brother?_ Tiffany wondered, eyeing the Herdier boy cautiously. _He doesn't look like the mean type…but still…better make this good, if only for Isabelle's sake!_

The Dedenne girl kneeled down, gently easing the sapling's roots into the hole in the ground. She pressed dirt in around it, smoothing out the area until it looked like the sapling had grown there naturally. Smiling victoriously, she stood up and brushed her skirt off.

Everybody was clapping as she rose. Isabelle flashed her a smile as well, clearly pleased. Tiffany smiled back, cheeks warm from joy.

"Mayor Tiffany! Congratulations!" Isabelle declared. "I hope this tree grows just as strong and lively as Chokewood! We're all looking forward to the changes you have in store for this lovely town of ours!"

_This lovely town…that had its name changed due to a taboo event five years ago,_ Tiffany thought. _What could that event have been? Just what happened back then to make it taboo?_

"Well, now that the tree is planted, you have the rest of the day to rest and relax. We can get to work on making Chokewood a better place tomorrow, yeah?" Isabelle commented. "I'll be at the town hall, attending to other things, in case you happen to need some advice or don't know what to do. Do what you like today. Maybe greet your new neighbors. I'm sure everyone will be delighted to talk to you."

"Sure," Tiffany nodded. _I don't think I'll be getting out of this mayor thing anytime soon. Maybe I can use that to my advantage and find out what happened to the Ashwood my mom knew to make it into the Chokewood that I see today._

Everyone quickly dispersed, leaving the Dedenne girl alone in the plaza. She sighed before looking at the sapling she had planted.

_Well, I guess I have to start somewhere. I'm not going to find the answers to all of these questions by myself. I better see who all is in this town,_ Tiffany decided.

She headed off into Chokewood, leaving the event plaza—and the sapling—far behind her.

.o.o.o.o.

"…"

Someone looked down upon Chokewood from the nearby mountain.

"…So, there's a new mayor in town?"

A frown was on its face. It looked troubled.

"…That's interesting."

Its shoulders shrugged, not caring too much.

"…I wonder how long she'll last."

A grin suddenly crossed the creature's face, a thick tongue swiping across its lips.

"…I wonder…what she tastes like…"

Laughter erupted from the tiny cabin. It was lost long before it hit Chokewood, leaving its residents none the wiser.

.o.o.o.o.

"Awww! Are my pockets full already?"

Tiffany shifted through her enlarged pockets, stuffed to the brim with apples. They were so plentiful on the trees that she couldn't help but pick some. They would certainly make for a good meal or snack for the day.

Among the apples were various seashells. Chokewood had a wonderful shoreline and a beautiful view of the sea along its southwestern edge. The Dedenne girl had ventured down the slope to play in the shallows on the beach, collecting various seashells along the way.

She sighed, straightening up and watching the sun begin to set. "What a strange day it's been. Ashwood has changed to Chokewood, I've apparently become mayor, and there's some taboo event that occurred five years ago. So many questions…"

"You're Tiffany, aren't you? Well, of course you are. There are no other Dedenne in Chokewood, after all. Silly me."

Tiffany jumped, whirling around in surprise. It was the Mega Mawile from the plaza. The older woman gave a small smile, red eyes zeroing in on the mayor's face.

"I believe we were not introduced. I'm Cora, a senior resident of Chokewood," she said.

"Senior resident?" Tiffany repeated. _She doesn't look that old…_

Cora gave a small laugh. "I mean to say that I've been in Chokewood for longer than most of the other residents. The only ones that have been here longer are the shopkeepers up on Main Street and that old dog, Bob."

"Old dog?"

"The Stoutland," Cora answered.

_Isabelle's dad,_ Tiffany realized. "Oh... Nice to meet you, Cora."

"The pleasure is all mine," Cora chuckled, moving to stand beside the shorter girl. She watched the sun begin to set. "What a lovely view, isn't it? It's too bad you're a girl. I would've preferred a man to be our mayor…but I guess beggars can't be choosers. We got what we got. I'll just have to deal with it." She gave a dramatic sigh.

_Was she hoping to…date the mayor?_ Tiffany wondered, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. _What if the real mayor was supposed to be a guy? But…Isabelle said they got a letter from the mayor. I wonder who wrote that letter. Mom? Or someone else?_

Cora looked over at the Dedenne girl. "You're sure quiet. Something on your mind?"

"Oh! Um… Actually, yes," Tiffany nodded, twisting her skirt between her fingers. "On the way here, I was told Chokewood was formerly named Ashwood but nobody seems to know why the name change happened. Would you…happen to know why?"

Cora smirked. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd pop that question. Sadly, my lips are sealed. The subject of the name change was deemed taboo by our former mayor. If you really want details, though, I suggest pressing your secretary for info. Her older brother was the previous mayor's secretary, so I'm sure some information got leaked to her by mistake."

"But…won't she not tell me because of the taboo?" Tiffany questioned, suddenly edgy.

"…You really haven't noticed, have you?" Cora's head tilted back as she laughed. "That Isabelle girl is already crazy for you. Taboo or no, I bet she'd tell you anything at all if it meant proving she can be the best secretary possible for you. Such a people pleaser, that girl…"

"Isn't that taking advantage of her, though? That'd be wrong to do," Tiffany shakily argued.

"Depends on your definition of wrong," Cora pointed out, turning away. "I'll give you one tidbit, though. Even though the town name was changed five years ago, the event that caused it was happening for just over a decade beforehand."

"A…decade?" Tiffany looked shocked. _That taboo event…went on for over ten years?_

Cora turned, heading back up the slope. "Well, that's all I can really say without causing trouble for myself. Just keep that tidbit to yourself, okay? Good luck with being the mayor and all. We've all got high hopes for you."

And like that, the Mega Mawile was gone, vanishing from the beach and returning to Chokewood's residential area.

The Dedenne watched the spot where Cora had stood long after the other woman had disappeared from sight. That new information zipped around in her brain, sparking dozens of new questions.

Questions she had no answers for…

A sharp whistle caught her attention. Looking around briefly, she paused before chalking it up to the wind. Then she saw a shadow slowly crossing the beach.

_A bird?_ She wondered, looking straight up.

It was a wrapped present tied to a balloon. It was drifting along slowly by the wind, heading over the slope and toward the sea. A few minutes passed before it vanished into the distance.

_A flying present? It was too high up to get it. Just what could it have been?_ Tiffany wondered. _I've never seen anything like that before. Chokewood sure is full of strange sights…_

A cold breeze made her shiver, ears folding back against her skull and tail puffing up in defense. Shaking herself, Tiffany turned and headed up the slope to Chokewood. The safety of the trees kept anymore cold breezes from reaching her, allowing her to safely trek back to her tent. Scurrying inside, she was surprised to find it completely empty.

_I guess Tom Nook forgot to bring a sleeping bag. Or maybe he just didn't have one. I guess I'll have to make do with sleeping on the floor,_ Tiffany thought.

"Um, Mayor Tiffany? Are you in there?"

_Isabelle?_ The Dedenne looked back at the entrance flaps. "I'm here!"

"Pardon the intrusion, mayor!" Isabelle stepped inside the tent, looking around. "Oh! This reminds me of all the camping I used to do with my dad when I was a kid! We'd have fun and roast marshmallows and cook popcorn over the fire. We'd always burn the popcorn a bit, but that just made it extra delicious. So exciting!"

"Yeah, I know," Tiffany nodded.

"…Oh! I'm sorry! I got carried away again!" Isabelle yelped, ashamed of her sudden camping rant. "I thought I'd bring you something since you just moved in and probably don't have much yet."

The Lillipup girl held out a lantern, lighting up the inside of the tent.

"I found it in the storage closet at the town hall. I thought it'd be a perfect gift since you're staying in a tent currently. I hope you don't mind," Isabelle said. "It's a bit old but it still works, surprisingly enough!"

"Thank you very much. Now I have some light to see by now that night's falling," Tiffany smiled, taking the lantern and setting it down in a corner.

"You're welcome!" Isabelle grinned, pleased. "Sorry to have barged in on you like this. I'll just be going now. See you tomorrow…or whenever… Bye!"

"Bye!" the Dedenne girl wished.

Isabelle backed out of the tent before dashing away into the trees.

_She's a bit…strange,_ Tiffany thought, zipping the entrance flaps closed.

Cora's words came back to her suddenly.

"…_You really haven't noticed, have you? That Isabelle girl is already crazy for you. Taboo or no, I bet she'd tell you anything at all if it meant proving she can be the best secretary possible for you. Such a people pleaser, that girl…"_

The Dedenne girl shook her head. _Isabelle doesn't seem like that to me. She's just helping me settle in, that's all. She's just doing her job. That doesn't make her 'crazy for me'._

Moving the lantern to an opposing corner of her tent, Tiffany settled down on the floor to sleep.

_At least the ground is smooth and soft. Not rocky, like I expected,_ she thought in relief.

It wasn't long before Tiffany fell fast asleep…


End file.
